Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Governor Culver Announces Increased Proficiency For Iowa Students In Math And Reading
Iowa Department of Education Receives $1.3 Million to Improve School Leadership
DES MOINES, Iowa – Today, Governor Chet Culver announced that educational efforts in the state are working to close the achievement gap. While at the annual School Administrators of Iowa (SAI) conference in Des Moines, Governor Culver made the announcement along with Department of Education Director Judy Jeffrey.
“For years, we have worked to close the achievement gap. And today, I am proud to announce that our efforts are working!” said Governor Culver. “According to new results from the Iowa Test of Basic Skills, we have helped raise test scores for minority students in Iowa, and we saw significant increases in math and reading across the board. These results tell us that our efforts to improve education are working, and I am committed to building upon these achievements in the coming years to give our students an even better chance for a successful future.”
Following the Governor’s Comments, Director Jeffrey presented detailed information on the improvements that Iowa’s schools have made in math and science.
“We have just finished analyzing the test data from this past school year and I’m here to tell you that good things are happening,” said Jeffrey. “We all understand that schools provide much more for our students than reading and mathematics but if our students cannot read and cannot perform mathematical functions they will be disadvantaged for the rest of their lives. Thus, we track this data carefully on the Iowa tests to see in general how we are doing. They are good measures for us to use to describe the general health of our educational system.”
While at the conference, Governor Culver also announced a new $1.3 million grant for SAI for leadership development and improvement programs. Made Possible by the Wallace Foundation, these dollars are more than any other state received, and will be used to train principals and educators all across Iowa.
“And to help you continue this mission, I am proud today to announce that School Administrators of Iowa will once again receive funding from the Wallace foundation to continue their outstanding work in quality improvement,” said Governor Culver. “Research tells us that improving quality amongst our school leaders has an enormous impact on students achievement. And with these funds, we will be able to build upon the accomplishments of previous years to make sure that Iowa’s school administrators are able to continue Iowa’s educational success.”
A large body of research indicates that, second only to the quality of the teacher in the classroom, leadership is the most important school-related factor that affects student learning. Schools in which the community supports time for superintendents and principals to focus most of their time and energy on student achievement, rather than managerial and extra-curricular activities, show significant gains in student achievement.
The Iowa Department of Education works with the State of Iowa Board of Education to provide oversight, supervision and support for the state education system, which includes public elementary and secondary schools, nonpublic schools that receive state accreditation, area education agencies, community colleges and teacher preparation programs. The department is committed to high levels of learning, achievement and performance for all students, so they will become successful members of their community and the workforce.
The Wallace Foundation seeks to enable institutions to expand learning and enrichment opportunities for all people by
sharing effective ideas and practices. Its three current objectives are:
- Strengthen education leadership to improve student achievement
- Enhance after-school learning opportunities
- Build appreciation and demand for the arts
For more information and research on these and other related topics, please visit the Wallace Knowledge Center at www.wallacefoundation.org.